CASTLETON, Vt. -- The University of Maine at Farmington used a 12-4 run late in the second half and converted 14 straight from the free-throw line down the stretch to earn a 76-70 win over Castleton in a battle for the top spot in the North Atlantic Conference men's basketball standings.

The Beavers (10-11 overall, 10-2 in the NAC) are scheduled to host Johnson State College on Friday (women at 5:30 p.m., men to follow). Castleton fell to 15-8 (9-3).

Andrew Dean (Gorham, ME) scored a team-high 19 points, including 10 straight from the free throw line late in the game to put the game away. Josh Tanguay (Gorham, ME) and Eric Lelansky (Portland, ME) added 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Derick Faragon (Schenectady, NY) scored a game-high 22 points on 11-of-22 shooting to pace the Spartan offense. Mike Knight (Spring Valley, NY) made 7-of-8 from the field en route to 16 points and also hauled in seven rebounds (six offensive). Jared Paul (Tampa, FL) rounded out the scorers in double-figures with a dozen.

Neither team led by more than seven, in an opening half that featured five ties and eight lead changes. Farmington was able to open up the 28-21 lead with 5:57 remaining, thanks to a 9-2 run. Lelansky sandwiched a Mike Gingras (Winthrop, ME) basket to provide the scoring punch. Castleton answered with a 9-2 run of its own to close out the half, capped by a 3-pointer from Paul with five ticks remaining to send the game into the interval tied at 30 apiece.

The second half was much of the same, featuring four ties and 10 lead changes, and neither team showing the ability to pull away over the first nine minutes. Farmington was able to open up an eight point lead, once again using the three-ball as Dean cashed in on a pair to cap the 12-4 run to make it 60-52 with 5:46 remaining. Castleton once again, answered, cutting the lead to 60-58, but Eric Taylor (Oakland, ME) sunk a jumper from the left elbow to push the lead back to four, and the Beavers salted the game away from the free throw line down the stretch.